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Gov. Jeff Landry’s tax reform package future is hazy as the legislative special session enters its third week, The Center Square reports.
House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, was seen on the House floor counting votes for House Bill 9, which expands the list of taxed services. It was clear many representatives would not vote favorably, so no vote was held. If any one of the sales tax expansion bills fail to pass, it poses problems for the whole package.
The Legislature cannot risk reducing state revenue so significantly without knowing that the revenue will be made up by other bills. For every dollar eliminated in tax breaks and income tax reductions, a dollar must be made up through expanded sales taxes or more businesses to tax.
On Monday, the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs committee heard testimony on House bills 21 and 25. If passed, HB 21 will require the state to annually estimate revenue from aviation fuel collections, while HB 25 deals with severance taxes on oil and gas.
On Tuesday, the committee will take up a handful of tax reform bills, including HB 1, HB 2, HB3, HB 7, HB 8, HB 10 and HB 11.
